Is China’s innovation boom producing too many useless inventions?
Expert says it’s better at disruptive innovations that boost efficiency
Robotic suitcases that follow the owner like a puppy, smart baby feeding bottles that monitor food intake, soil testers for potted plants that send out smartphone alerts about the growing environment – they’re all examples of Chinese innovation.
More and more novelties from China’s most innovative companies are now entering mainlanders’ life as many embrace new lifestyles. But a lot of innovative products are being released in a hurry, at the expense of quality, industry insiders and consumers have warned.
Too many people are hurrying for quick success and instant benefits, without a thorough understanding of what the market really needs
The central government wants innovation to be the key driving force for the mainland economy, and numerous individuals and firms have been racing for start-up success.
China ranked 29th among 141 economies around the world in the World Intellectual Property Organisation’s Global Innovation Index 2015, between Slovenia and Portugal and 18 places below Hong Kong. Beijing has vowed to improve that position by spending 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product on research and development by 2020, up from 2.1 per cent last year.
But critics say it could be a false boom.
“In my opinion many of the new products being made today do not really know what the users need,” Sun Yue, a Shanghai resident, commented after visiting the CES Asia consumer technology trade show in Shanghai in May.